596 ABSTRACTION OF BLOOD, OR BLEEDING. 



they hold up so long as they desire blood, by the insertion 

 of a piece of wood ; and when they have obtained blood 

 enough, they take out the wood so as to let the horny flap 

 down. This last method, of all others, appears to us the 

 easiest and the best: 



Sometimes the plantar vein is opened as a substitute. — 

 Scarijications are also occasionally practised, which, of 

 course, divide both venous and arterial branches. In France 

 extensive scarifications used to be made into indurations 

 before the suppurative process had commenced, which 

 in some cases prevented that from going on ; and the reme- 

 dial wounds made were healed by adhesive inflammation, or 

 by healthy granulation : the same method has also been 

 occasionally practised here, but it is not now often at- 

 tempted. 



Phlebotomy, or the puncture of a venous branch, is the 

 most usual mode of drawing blood in veterinary practice, 

 and may be employed on any point of the body ; but some 

 vessels are much more frequently opened than others, and 

 most of all the jugular. — Bleeding by the thigh vein. The 

 saphena is a prominent vein, continued from the inner part 

 of the hock, and may be opened by the fleam ; but with 

 much greater safety and propriety by a lancet. The oppo- 

 site leg being held up, the operator placing himself in front 

 of the thigh, and steadying himself and the horse by placing 

 one hand on the hock, may fix the vein with the little 

 finger of the other ; while the lancet held between the thumb 

 and fore finger punctures it. This vein should never be 

 opened, save upon absolute necessity, as it is often trouble- 

 some to pin up. A horse has been cast for the trivial 

 matter of stopping the heemorrhage. — Bleeding from the 

 plate vein. This vein is frequently opened to abstract blood 

 after injuries of the fore extremities. — The superficial bra- 

 chial vein is a continuation of the superficial division of the 

 metacarpal veins, and in the passage upwards receives more 

 than one branch ; its principal trunk ascends along the 

 inner side of the radius. It may also be well to remark, 

 that, when taking blood from the superficial veins of the 

 arm or fore-arm, if any difficulty is experienced in obtain- 

 ing a sufficient flow, the lifting up of the other leg, by 

 throwing the muscles of the punctured one into action, will 



